[Karolina.S]

About a month ago a converted my Cockatiels onto the Harrison's Bird Food with great success. However over the conversion period they lose a bit of weight. I felt their keel bones and its sticking out quite a lot, not really badly but it is sticking out compared to the breast muscle on either side.

Charlie now weighs 103 grams which is and improvement from the 95 grams he was before.
Oskie weighs 105 grams which is about the same as a month ago.
and Sammy weighs 100 grams which is also the same as before.
I know that is falls into the weight range for Cockatiels but it still has me worried.

I feed them Harrison's high potency pellets, soak seeds, and a lots of fruit and vegetables.

I just want to know if there is anything I can do to increase their body mass so their keel bone doesn't protrude out as it does now or should I just leave them as they are so they gain weight naturally?

 

[lperry82]

My cookie is in the range of 75g-78g and iv tried him all sorts to fatten him up lol

 

[roxy culver]

You can try adding pasta and rice to their diet...my brother started giving his girl Pineapple (Snowball's daughter) rice and she now weighs 138g!

 

[Karolina.S]

I tired rice before but I think it didn't work because it was white rice, this time we brown so it should be better for them.

Thank you for the advise.

 

[enigma731]

Are you sure the keelbone really is too sharp? Did you feel it before you made the switch? You SHOULD be able to feel it to some extent. There is definitely a slope to their breast muscle around the keel, and it can be tricky if you're not used to feeling it. I freaked out at my vet last week because I thought my 'tiel was underweight, but he said her body condition was quite good. She weighs 81g. If I were you, I would just weigh them on a weekly basis (at the same time of day) for now. If they're stable, or they're gaining, I wouldn't worry.

 

[geenz]

When Fawkes was eggbound and had to go to the vet I said that I thought she was a bit underweight (was about 85g-90g I think ) but the vet said she was fine

 

[Karolina.S]

I felt it before the switch and it was as sharp as it is now. To my birds much delight I took them in really had a feel of the keel and breast muscle and there is definitely a slope between the keel bone and breast muscle. After they begun eating pellets normally they did gain a little bit of weight so I will just start weighing them on the weekly basis like you said but I will also start giving them some cooked brown rice as well to help.

Thank you very much for the help.

 

[lperry82]

You can try adding pasta and rice to their diet...my brother started giving his girl Pineapple (Snowball's daughter) rice and she now weighs 138g!

Really i think i will mix the rice with scrambled egg and corn as iv tried rice on its own and they wont eat it :wacko:

 

[DyArianna]

It might just be possible that you had a few ummm... over weight Tiels before? Is it any way possible that they are just now getting to be a healthier weight for them? I can't even say healthier because they were well within the category for average weight. And actually still are. How old are your birds? Have they been getting more exercise besides the change in diet? Do you feed them strictly pellets now and no more seeds?

 

[Karolina.S]

Oskie and Charlie are around 2 years old whilst Sammy is going onto 5 years of age soon. I know they are within the average weight but the keel bone has got me worried. I feed the pellets, soak seeds and sometimes normal seeds with fresh fruit and vegetables, now they are also getting brown rice which they love eating.